This is Ambassador Baumann’s second visit to the city of Kharkiv, which hosts around 202,000 internally displaced people, mainly from the frontline communities, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Swiss and Ukrainian sides discussed ongoing support to the region, delivering of humanitarian aid, the process of decentralization of heat, energy and water supply systems and winter preparedness. During the meeting with Terekhov, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) and Kharkiv Сity Сouncil. Through this cooperation, Swiss business will be engaged in the partial repair of damaged civilian buildings in Kharkiv with the financial support from SECO. The Swiss private sector will make their contribution by implementing the programme of training of specialists that will be needed for reconstruction.
Civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv is one of the most affected by the ongoing Russian military aggression against Ukraine, and the situation is deteriorating on the winter’s eve. Only during October 2024, 380 houses were damaged in Kharkiv. The new modality of cooperation will help to ensure that people can remain warm at home, while addressing the lack of technical personnel in the local labour market. If proved successful, it can then be scaled up and applied in other projects across Ukraine.
The Swiss private sector is to play an important role in Ukraine's recovery. Switzerland plans to make 500 million Swiss francs available over the next four years to better involve the private sector in such kind of efforts. The funds will come from the 1.5 billion Swiss francs earmarked for Ukraine in the International Cooperation Strategy 2025–2028.
“We are launching this new modality of cooperation with the involvement of Swiss business in Kharkiv, because it is one of the most affected areas, for which this support is important. With the approach of winter, I hope that these efforts will first and foremost help people staying in the city. I am also thankful to Swiss business community staying in Ukraine and ready to support local people through this cooperation,” said Ambassador of Switzerland to Ukraine Félix Baumann.
“Your visit and your support are extremely important to us. Switzerland's cooperation with Ukraine in the areas of peace, security, strengthening of democratic institutions, sustainable urban development and health care is your contribution to our future. As for Kharkiv, winter is coming, the streets are getting colder every day, but despite the constant shelling, we have more than 1.2 million residents, of whom 200,000 are internally displaced persons. Therefore, our main operational task is to close the contours of all damaged buildings as quickly as possible. Thank you for being ready to work with us in this direction,” said Kharkiv City Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
Together with its implementing NGO partners, Switzerland is supporting Kharkiv Region, its residents, displaced people and evacuees with humanitarian aid, delivering equipment to rescuers and water utility companies, as well as providing health, protection and psychological services. A comprehensive demining programme is implemented in Kharkiv Region within the previously allocated 100 million Swiss francs package of support from Switzerland.
